Dry-kiln



J. F. OLDFIELD.

DRY KILN APPLICATION FILED OCT. 16, I912.

Patented Aug. 8 1916. 1,193,596. 2 SHEETSSHEE l' I- 4 w/ ,I f Q O Q MK [II x S lll fl \m\m\ k 555::

w I .1 M

J. F. OLDFIELD.

DRY KILN.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 16, 1912.

1 1 93,56 Patented Aug. 8, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

1 amwwto a I Mam/M JOHN F. OLDFIELD, OF BEL AIR, DIARYLAND.

DRY-KILN.

Application filed October 16, 1912.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN F. OLDFIELD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bel Air, in the county of Harford and State of Maryland, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Dry-Kilns, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in dry kilns .and has particular reference to an improved kiln for drying lumber.

One object of the invention is to provide an improved construction of kiln whereby to better maintain proper temperatures in and throughoutthe kiln and to provide for a gradual increasing and raising of the temperature between the green entrance-end and the dry exit-end of the kiln.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved construction of dry kiln which shall be durable and practically indestructible.

With these and other objects in view the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein,

Figure 1 shows a vertical longitudinal section through a dry kiln constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2, shows a sectional plan view of the same, the section being taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, .and Fig. 3, shows an enlarged vertical sectional elevation through the kiln looking toward the dry or exit-end thereof.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, 1, designates the base or bottom of the kiln; 2, one end wall and, 3, the other end wall thereof. While the two end walls, 2, and, 3, are vertical they do not extend at right angles with respect to the bottom, 1, because the latter is inclined and not horizontal,- the green entranceend being somewhat higher than the" dry exit-end. Also it will be noted by reference to Fig. 1, that the end-wall, 2, is considerably smaller in a vertical direction than the end-wall, 3. The side walls, 4, and, 5, of the kilnare parallel with each other from one end wall to the other but are obviously higher at the dry end than at-the green end. The top, 6, of the kiln also inclines downwardly from the higher dry end to the lower green end. It will thus be seen that the drying chamber, 7, of the kiln gradually increases in cross-sectional area as it extendsfrom the green to the dry end and that the increased area is due to the fact that the bottom and Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 8, 1916.

Serial No. 726,032. 1

top walls diverge as they extend from the green to the said dry end of the kiln. It should be understood however'that as the side walls, 4, and, 5, are preferably parallel the drying chamber is of a uniform width from end to end.

The bottom, sides, top and ends of the kiln in the present illustration are all constructed of concrete and are therefore of a solid and rigid mass and free of joints except at the entrance and exit openings; consequently there will be practically no admission of air and practically no escape of heat during the operation of the kiln.

The end wall, 2, at the green entrance-end is provided with an opening, 8, for a suitable door or other closure, while the end wall, 3, is provided with a similar opening, 9, which will also be closed by a door or other closure of any desired construction.

The bottom of the kiln sustains suitable supports, 10, which carry channel bars, 11, so that suitable rails, 12, may be laid through the kiln on saidbars on which rails trucks or cars laden with lumber may be moved into and through the kiln. By reference to Fig. 1, it will be seen that the track rails, 12, extend parallel with the bottom, 1, and are therefore somewhat higher at the entrance than at the exit end of the kiln but it will also be noted that the space or chamber, 13, between the tracks and the bottom of the kiln is substantially the same from one end of the kiln to the other.

By reference to Fig. 3, although disclosed in Figs. 1 and 2, it will be seen that on the interior, the side walls, 4, and, 5, are provided with a series of lower vertical flues, 14, the lower ends of which flues have lateral bends, 15, which open along the top surface of the bottom of the kiln. The lateral bends of-these flues extend inwardly toward each other and away from the side walls for the purpose of elfecting a better circulation of air in the drying chamber by passing through the flues. The lower vertical fi'ues have openings, 16, at their upper ends above the track rails, 12, which establish communication between saidflues and the drying chamber and the'flues are separated by partition walls, 17, which latter extend from the bottom of the kiln above said openings, 16, and to the top, 6. It will be noted that at the upper ends the partition walls, 17, broaden and become thicker and that they form vertical supports or pilasters for the top, 6. Above the openings, 16, the side walls are provided with a series of separate and independent upper flues, 18, formed by the spacing of the vertical supports, 17, and each of the upper flues tapers as it extends upwardly and has an outlet opening, 19, which opens through the top of roof, 6. A suitable boss, 20, is provided in the top or roof around each outlet opening, 19, of the upper flues so as to prevent the flow of rainwater from the roof or top down into the upper flues. Each upper flue is located directly over one of the lower flues but said upper and lower flues are separated by an opening 21, which forms a communication between said flues and the drying chamber.

It will be noted that the openings between the upper and lower fines are progressively higher from the bottom and the track from the entrance to the exit of the kiln. It is desirable to locate these openings well above the track so as to procure as good a circulation of air as possible in the drying chamber and about the lumber on the trucks. At the green entrance-end however the temperature is low as compared to the temperature at the exit-end consequently the moisture from the green lumber will not rise as high at the low temperature as at the higher temperature and the openings to the upper ends of the lower flues at said green end will serve their purpose more advantageously if located nearer to the tracks than at the dryend of the chamber.

Between the track rails, 12, and the lateral branches, 15, of the lower vertical flues the interior of the kiln is provided with a heating system. This heater comprises a header, 22, which is located at the larger dry or exitend of the kiln and below the opening, 9. The header is to be supplied with steam from any suitable source of steam supply and from the header numerous steam pipes lead so as to project toward the green entrance end of the kiln. By referring to Fig. 2, it will be noted that in the present instance five series of pipes extend from the header, the series, 28, being the shortest; the series, 24:, being the next longer; the series, 25, still longer and the series, 26, and, 27, being still longer in the order named. It will be noted that all the pipes lead from the larger, dry or exit-end of the kiln and extend in a direction toward the smaller green or entrance-end, but that first one series and then another terminates at points intermediate said two ends. It also will be seen that the greater number of pipes are situated at the larger end of the kiln and that the roof or top wall slopes upwardly to said larger end. From the foregoing explanation it will be readily understood that the heat will obviously be greater at the larger exit end because of the greater number of pipes or heating surface at that end and also because the heat will travel along the upwardly-sloping roof from the smaller to the larger end.

A kiln constructed in accordance with my invention has advantages in durability bebecause ofthe upper set of flues, 18, and the fact that said flues extend through the top or roof and the support for the roof is thereby somewhat weakened in view of these openings. The partitions however. are especially widened at their upper ends to increase their strength.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A dry-kiln having a bottom, top, side walls and end walls, one of which latter is larger than the other and the top sloping downward from the higher to the lower end wall and having a plurality of openings therein along the opposite sides,said side walls of the kiln having vertical lower flues and vertical upper flues with an opening between said lower and upper flues which communicates with the interior of the kiln and the upper flues being in register with the openings in the sloping top, a track extending longitudinally in the kiln and means in the kiln below the track for heating the interior thereof. I

2. A dry-kiln having outer and inner side walls, bottom, top and end walls and provided between the outer and inner side walls with a series of spaced-apart vertical partitions which extend from the bottom to the top and support the latter and also form a series of vertical flues the vertical partitions and the flues formed between the latter increasing in length from one end to the other of the kiln and said flues having communication with the interior of the kiln between fiues between adjoining partitions,the fiues opening at the bottom of the kiln and extending through the top thereof and also having openings which communicate with the drying chamber between the bottom and top, the openings from the several flues into the drying chamber being progressively higher from the bottom from one end of the kiln to the other; a track in said kiln that is 10 elevated with respect to the bottom openings of the fines and means between the track and the bottom openings of the fiues for heating the drying chamber in the kiln.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

JOHN F. OLDFIELD.

Vitnesses:

CHARLES B. MANN, J12, Y G. FERD. VoeT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

